Desiree Ellis Cautions Banyana Banyana About Underestimating Their Africa Women’s Cup of Nations Opponents

• Banyana Banyana will take on Nigeria in their opening game of the African Women’s Cup of Nations
• Desiree Ellis has urged her Banyana Banyana team not to take their opponents lightly in the upcoming tournament
• Nigeria have won the title nine times while South Africa have finished as runners-up on five occasions

Banyana Banyana head into the Africa Women’s Cup of Nations(AWCON) as one of the favourites to take home the title.

Banyana kicks off their AWCON account on Monday, July 4, when they take defending champions, Nigeria.

Nigeria and Banyana have been drawn into Group C along with Botswana and Burundi.

While the South African side are considered as serious title contenders, coach Desiree Ellis doesn’t want the favourite tag to go to their heads, Sowetan LIVE reported.

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“The team has grown a lot since the last edition and we would be naive to go to a tournament and not set a goal of winning it. But that doesn’t mean we must think it’ll be easy for us,” Ellis said.

She cautioned her side not to underestimate their opponents as there were teams in the tournament who were capable of pulling off upsets.

Undoubtedly their biggest test will come in the form of Nigeria. Banyana do some bragging rights going into the game, having beaten Nigeria 4-2 in the last encounter in September 2021, EWN reported.

AWCON will be hosted in Morocco from July 2 to 23.

The four countries that reach the semi-finals of the tournament will also qualify for next year’s FIFA Women’s World Cup which will be co-hosted by New Zealand and Australia.

Nigeria have won the title a record nine times while South Africa have never claimed the top spot but have finished as runners-up on five occasions.

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Banyana Banyana could pocket R9.2 million from the South African Football Association for winning the AWCON tournament

Earlier Sports Brief reported that Banyana Banyana will jet off to Morocco for the 2022 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations.

South African Football Association (SAFA) president, Danny Jordaan, met with the side today to wish them well and promise them a major incentive for winning the tournament.

SAFA will reward the side with R9.2 million if they win the tournament. Each player will walk away with a whopping R400 000. The winners of AWCON also pocked $200,000 (R3 181 660) in prize money.

2022 Africa Women Cup of Nations co-favourites Banyana Banyana name squad for the upcoming tournament

South Africa has shown its hand ahead of the 2022 Africa Women Cup of Nations to be hosted by Morocco next month.

Banyana Banyana coach Desiree Ellis announced her final squad of 23 players earlier today to do duty at the 13th iteration of the tournaments.

Twelve teams divided into three groups will vie for the title that Nigeria more or less calls their own, having won it 10 times out of 12 occasions since the first edition that was held in 1991.